In the Blink of an Eye - a McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: Angie's antics leave Steve a bit lost in a foamy sea.


_Sammy and Ilna - Thank you for always being the best!_

_Sammy - thanks for another title! _

_REALMcRollers and readers - hugs to everyone for your wonderful feedback!_

* * *

**_In the Blink of an Eye_**

"I'm almost done, and when I finish cleaning your bathroom, it'll be time for your nap," Steve told Angie conversationally as she sat on the plush rug with a board book.

"Ah keen dem book." She held it up then opened it to continue to 'read' aloud to Cammie, who was seated at her side.

"By the time you wake up, Mommy will be home and we can all go swimming later after your nap." He set about scrubbing the tub, turning intermittently to check on Angie as he did. Having the chore down to a science, Steve only needed a few minutes to scrub with the child-and-pet-safe combination of white vinegar and baking soda. He was rinsing it out when he heard Cammie's sharp bark as Angie moved.

By the time he'd turned his head, she'd moved with what seemed like lightning speed the six feet to the toilet.

By the time he'd said, Angie!" and strode to grab her, the toddler was pulling the lever.

By the time he'd swooped in to grab the shiny green and yellow box in her hands, it was empty.

"Angie!" Steve's utterance of his daughter's name held exasperation and astonishment as an abundance of foam filled the toilet and began to spill over the sides.

"Da bub'le!" She pointed as her eyes widened. "All da bub'le!"

Looking at the foaming toilet and the empty box that had contained … what? … he tried to recall. Was it four? Six? Of the foaming bath bombs Catherine kept in that bathroom for guests. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, then glanced down to be sure the toddler hadn't heard him. She was too focused on the foam that had covered most of the bathroom floor to notice the curse.

He moved her back, away from the 'flow zone' and knelt. "Angie, we don't flush things." He met her at eye level and said in a low, even tone. "You shouldn't put things in the toilet, it can break."

The eyes that matched his own in color and Catherine's in expression, looked into his. "No fwush." Angie said, her voice serious. She clearly recognized both parents' admonishing tones.

"That's right, sweetheart. Look at the big mess we have to clean now." He pointed to the plethora of foam that covered the floor but had thankfully, stopped flowing from the toilet.

He shook his head, reached for the cleaning bucket and began to scoop the foam into the tub. Cammie, who'd backed out of the foamy, sunflower-scented room as soon as she knew her little human was safe and Steve had the white, smelly stuff under control, alerted and bounded down the stairs at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

Easily hopping over the baby gate at the bottom of the staircase, she was at the door, tail wagging in anticipation seconds before Catherine's key turned in the lock.

* * *

Catherine was greeted with soft doggie yipping sounds as soon as she opened the door.

Dropping her purse before kneeling to greet Cammie, she said, "Hi, my pretty girl … " then frowned slightly when the dog removed the paw she'd placed on her jeans-clad knee. There was a Cammie-sized print on her pants. "Why are your feet wet?" she asked just as her daughter's exclamation of "See, Daddy, wheeee!" reached her ears.

"Angie, no, don't slide in them," came Steve's voice from upstairs as Catherine stood.

'What the hell?' she thought as she climbed over the gate without opening it and ran up the steps. Cammie followed, once again clearing the obstacle like a gazelle.

The sight before her was one to behold. She stood stock still for five seconds, struggling to swallow her laughter as the two year old spotted her and yelled, "Daddy, Mommy he'we!" with unabashed glee.

Most of the bathroom floor wasn't visible and neither was the lower half of Angie's body. When she met her husband's eyes, she could no longer control a snort of laughter which she immediately disguised as a cough. Not wanting their two year old to think she found the situation hysterical, she ran her eyes over Steve's clothes - or what she could see of them. His tank top and board shorts held patches of white bubbles and his body was obscured from the calves down by … foam.

"Oh. My. God. You two, what happened in here?" She shook her head and reached for the toddler, who was shuffling towards her. "Easy, easy, don't run, you'll fall."

"Mommy baf wa'er bub'le!"

Taking her hand away from her mouth, she reached out and lifted a slippery, grinning Angie and raised her head to look at Steve. He'd run a hand over his hair and left a dollop of bubbling foam in its wake. "What … ?" She repeated smiled at the picture he made.

Steve huffed a sigh. "I was scrubbing out her tub. She was sitting right there on the rug with her book. I was literally bent over the tub for thirty seconds at a time." A slightly incredulous look was in the hazel eyes at the volume of bubbles. "She apparently decided to help me by making … bubbles." He waved a hand. "Cammie started barking and I looked up just when she'd dumped … I don't even know how many of those bath things in and flushed the toilet."

"Bub'le," Angie echoed. "All da bub'le."

"I see all the bubbles." Catherine nodded. She'd had nearly half a dozen LUSH bath bombs left in the now empty box. No wonder her husband and daughter were awash in a sea of foam. "Angie, you shouldn't have done that," She said seriously. "You know we don't flush things, because you're a big girl, right? Glancing at Steve she smiled.

He shook his head and referencing the child-safe devices he'd put on all the tubs and muttered, "Maybe I shoulda put 'em on the toilets…" as he looked around.

"Angie, did you tell Daddy you're sorry for flushing the bubbles?" Catherine said and the toddler tilted her head. 'Say, I'm sorry, Daddy.'

"Sowwy," Angie repeated even as she ran the delicious smelling foam through her fingers.

"Okay, thank you, I love you," Steve bent to kiss her. "You can help Daddy by going with Mommy to rinse off and get changed. And let's not flush anything else, okay?"

"I'll help you," Catherine said with a grin as Angie nodded and he shook foam from his hands.

"I got it. Just grab me the mop, I don't wanna track it all over the house."

"Aye, aye, Commander," She said with a small smile and carried her still foamy two year old out into the hall.

* * *

With Angie down for a nap under Cammie's watchful eye, Catherine entered the now clean bathroom where Steve was rinsing the last of the foam down the tub drain.

"You smell like … sunflowers," she said as she waved a hand at his clothes.

"I've been told worse," he grinned and shucked off the tank top. "She asleep?"

"Out like a light." Her grin matched his. "Need any help with those wet clothes?"

He started out of the room and caught her around the waist, taking her with him. "I need to shower off this stuff." His eyes darkened. "Wanna help?"

"And here I thought you didn't mind bombs." She leaned up and kissed him. "Oh, you taste a little … soapy. That calls for an extra long shower."

"Then I definitely need help." They'd reached their bathroom and he turned on the water as their clothes hit the floor.

Stepping under the spray he reached for her and she joined him. They laughed against each other's lips when after kissing him deeply, Catherine leaned against the color changing tiles and murmured, "If we get really creative, maybe we can draw a sunflower."

* * *

# END

_Thanks for reading!_

_Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: __**marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll**_

_Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net __**Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com**_

_You can join our mailing list by __**emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com**_ _with: Add me, please! in the subject line. Or just drop us a line to say hi! We love hearing from our readers._

_And find me on Twitter asking your opinions on all things McRoll in the REAL World! at Mari21763 and add #REALMcRoller _


End file.
